Wealth and Water of Newport, RI 6/21/14 – 6/24/14

Newport, RI

We made our way through back roads and over two huge bridges from Connecticut to Newport, Rhode Island and arrived at the Paradise RV Park in Middleton. The park was well kept, level, but its best asset was that it was only 3 miles from downtown Newport. No frills though, we were basically camping in someone’s backyard. We got set up, after a delay from the long-winded manager, and headed to town for the afternoon. Town was busy in the middle of tourist season, a Saturday afternoon that had everyone in the area out and enjoying the 75-degree day. We made our way up and down the main street and around the marina, finally ending up at a local restaurant/bar to watch some late afternoon World Cup games. Afterwards, we walked down the road and found a nice little semi-outdoor bar, and bellied up for some vino. We chatted with two other couples in the bar, and had a lot of fun with them and the staff. We decided to head home for some sleep, not before a quick slice of pizza at a small little joint before the 3-mile drive home.

Gorgeous sunset on our first night in Newport

Sunday we relaxed early and then headed back to town, this time we were headed for the Cliff Walk. The southeastern shoreline of Newport is famous for its mansions. These places are massive private homes built along the coastline, some of which are open to tour. Along the waterline, is a 4-5 mile long walkway that gives you great views of the backside of these mansions, as well as the dramatic coastline. We started out on the southern portion, making our way south to the tip. Then retraced our steps back to the middle portion of the walk, before returning to the car after some 6 miles along the trail. Many areas along the walk were being repaired, again hurricane Sandy had done her damage here as well, so there were some areas that needed a little more technical attention, walking across exposed ocean worn rockery. We headed back to the MoHo and started to get ready for the U.S. soccer match vs. Portugal. What a letdown, allowing the late goal to tie, but at least we got a point and still have a good chance to move on to the second round, but that win would have put the U.S. through, darn it!

The Breakers, built by the Vanderbilt in 1895

The Breakers, built by the Vanderbilt family in 1895

The Cliff Walk

Another HUMONGOUS mansion

Monday we decided to take a harbor tour via boat, choosing the former lobster boat turned tour boat, Gansett. The captain made his way through the harbor, with another crewmember giving us details and info about the area, the boats that were moored, and a wonderful history of Newport. Again there were a ton of the massive mansions along the coast, and with all the yacht’s and mega yacht’s, it is a very wealthy place to see. It was a perfect day to be out on the water and what better way to see the area that is so heavily influenced by boating than from the water?! The America’s Cup used to be hosted in Newport, so we learned a lot about that too. We grabbed some dinner on the way home and made it an early night.

A private residence

The Castle Hill Inn & Lighthouse, a cool $750/night (minimum 3 night stay)

A house on a private island right in Newport Bay

Hammerstein Farms, site of JFK and Jackie O's wedding reception

Hammersmith Farms, site of JFK and Jackie O’s wedding reception

Traci relaxing on the back of the Gansett

Our last full day in Newport, we got some errands completed. We headed about 35 miles north to hit the local Camping World, needing to get some bike covers (when we drive the bikes collect a ton of road dust off the back of the MoHo, not good). We then made a couple more stops while out, and returned to the MoHo for some itinerary planning and dinner.

Loving Newport

This was a great stop for us. Traci had been here before while on a cruise with her mom and I remember her telling me how much I would have loved it (she was right!) She was only here for a day, but being here longer, we were able to settle into the lifestyle a bit more and just take in the atmosphere of this small coastal town. We are off to Cape Cod tomorrow.

Charming Connecticut – 6/16/14 – 6/20/14

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Yale University, New Haven

The drive from Jersey City through New York was an interesting one full of busy streets, lots of construction, potholes o’plenty, aggressive drivers and expensive toll roads. My stress level was a bit high, but Mike was steady-Eddie as usual. Once we were into Connecticut, it was much calmer. When planning this stop, we weren’t really sure where the best place to stay. We ended up at the Aces High RV Park in East Lyme in the SE area of the state, which was about an hour east of New Haven and an hour south of Hartford. CT is a pretty small state, only about 120 miles wide and 90 miles tall, so all very accessible. We arrived at the park around 1pm and decided to just stay put, do some much needed laundry and watch the US beat Ghana in their first World Cup match. Woo Hoo!

We just stumbled upon this place. Funny as Mike had just seen this on a Discover Channel show featuring island homes

We stumbled upon this place on one of our drives. Funny as Mike had just seen it on a Discovery Channel show featuring island homes

The next day, we decided to check out the casinos that CT is so well known for. First stop was Foxwoods Resort. This place was absolutely huge. It may have seemed larger than normal because it just pops up out of nowhere. Maybe if it were on the Vegas strip next to the other monstrosities, it would seem normal. We walked through and to be honest it seemed a bit run-down and much of it was under construction. We decided to head over to the other place in town, Mohegan Sun. It too was humungous, but the look was much more modern. There were dozens of restaurants and stores all surrounded by gaming. It felt like Tulalip on super steroids! We had lunch at Bobby Flays burger joint and met a nice little old lady who bought us a round of drinks and told us to “enjoy life.” Very cute and appropriate! We played a bit, but the limits were pretty high. Mostly, we just walked around and checked out all of the cool décor. BTW, the Bachelorette recently filmed an episode here..the one where they repel down the side of the hotel and play basketball with the WNBA players.

USS Nautilus Submarine

On Wed, we headed east to Groton to tour the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine, commissioned in 1954. Very cool to go onboard and see the inner workings of a sub and how tight the quarters were. Mike and I are vertically challenged and we even had to duck! Then, we headed to New Haven, about an hour drive. We parked near Yale University and walked to our lunch spot, Louis Lunch, the believed birthplace of the hamburger. We were told about this place back in Virginia. It’s a hole in the wall joint with just two items on the menu; hamburger or cheeseburger, served with optional tomatoes/onion, medium rare on white bread (no condiments allowed). We both got the works and they were absolutely delicious! The burgers are cooked in original cast iron grills dating back to 1898. A great stop. It was a rather humid day, so we decided to drive around Yale campus instead of walking. A very pretty campus, full of old, historic looking buildings and a lot of smart people! We then drove the scenic route back toward the MoHo park along the coast through Guilford, Madison, Westbrook and Old Storybrook. All very cute, historic little towns with sailing influences (lots of marinas). Lastly we headed up to the quaint town of Essex and the Griswold Inn and sat outside for a beverage. This is the oldest continuously running tavern in the U.S. and another location for the Bachelorette : )

Inside the submarine

Entrance to Yale University

Best Burgers at Louis Lunch

The Griswold Inn, Essex

The next day it was rainy, so we opted to have a chill day. I got a massage and pedi just down the road and Mike did some fishing. Our spot at the park backed up to a catch & release lake. I think he caught more turtles than fish, but was a happy camper. On our last day, we drove up to Hartford (actually Cromwell) for the Travelers Championship golf tourney at TPC River Highlands. It was Friday, so not as crowded as the weekend, so we could get up to the ropes no problem and the weather was perfect. We stayed most of the day and followed Ryan Moore, Bubba, John Daly (classic), Dustin Johnson, Charlie Beljan (we camped next to him back in San Jose) and of course Serg! We headed back to the MoHo for a relaxing last evening, more fishing for Mike and a campfire. Our next stop is Newport, RI.

Travelers golf tourney. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but I snuck this one.

New York, NY! 6/6/14 – 6/15/14

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The souther tip of Manhattan – the new Freedom Tower is the tallest building on left side

We arrived in the Big Apple for our 10-day stay on a Friday afternoon. Factually we parked the MoHo in Jersey City, NJ at the Liberty Harbor Marina and Campground, a perfect location, literally just across the Hudson River from the southern tip of Manhattan. It was only about a 6-block walk to the local subway for easy access to the city, so we were able to leave the car parked most of our stay. The campground was no frills, just water and electricity, no sewer. They did have a mobile service to clean out our tanks for a $20 fee, or we could use their on site dump station (we chose for the service, much easier.) We got set up and immediately headed to the city to explore. We had a dinner/drinks meeting set up with a couple of great friends from Seattle, who are now New Yorkers, Amy and Michelle. The PATH subway system dropped us in midtown, and we walked to the most recognizable area, Times Square. Everyone has seen pictures and video of this iconic place, and it was just as anticipated, tons of huge video boards and advertising everywhere you looked. (Traci had been to NY before, but it was my first trip.) We gawked at all the tourists and huge crowds; there was so much going on it was mind overload. Eventually we made it to Rockefeller Center to walk around and then on to Koi, the restaurant across from Bryant Park for our evening with the ladies. We sort of honed in on a work dinner with some of Amy’s current and past co-workers, and had a blast getting to know everyone. What a first night in the big city!

Hello Empire State Building!

The next day we got in the car (one of the only times we drove anywhere) and headed to Tarrytown, north of the city about 25 miles, where Amy, her husband Andrew and their daughters Lauren and Gabby live. They invited us and Auntie Meeshie (Michelle) out on their boat for a day on the Hudson River. We got there and loaded the boat and off we went, towards the city. It was a perfect day, not too hot, little breezy and I could not take enough pictures along the way. Truly one of the best days of our NY stay, being able to view the city from the water and then just passing by the Statue of Liberty, awe inspiring for sure! Andrew grew up in Manhattan so he was a perfect tour guide giving us great info as we drove by the shoreline. I even took a swim in the Hudson, which as locals, they all found disgusting. I found it rather refreshing! We slowly made our way back to the marina, and then had a bite at their yacht club, before returning to their house and crashing for the night.

Out in the boat on the Hudson River (Mike, Lauren, Gabby, Traci, Amy and Michelle – Andrew is taking picture)

Statue of Liberty from the boat

Sunday brought us another great day. We all headed out to breakfast, then Traci and I decided to head to Central Park. Being it was a Sunday, we figured we could find some parking and not too much traffic. Once we got parked, we headed into the park, and again the maps and pictures do not do this place justice. Some 60 blocks long and about 8-9 blocks wide, right in the middle of Manhattan, truly awesome that it has stayed here without the city allowing it to be turned into another high-rise. The park was busy, but not bad and we walked around the southern half for a couple hours, just people watching and hearing the echo’s of the Puerto Rican parade that was taking place near the east side of the park. We saw the Boat House, Great Lawn, Fountain, The Mall, Baseball Fields, Tavern on the Green and Strawberry Fields, a tribute to John Lennon. We headed back to the MoHo and grabbed a bite at the Surf City restaurant right in our parking lot at the marina, super fun day for sure.

The Mall in Central Park

A crowded day on the Great Lawn in Central Park

Hot Dog in Central Park (About Last Night movie location)

Monday brought some torrential rains, but by late morning we returned to the city, to tour the 9/11 museum and memorial. The memorial pools that are in about the same footprints as the two towers were very moving, with all the names of those who perished engraved around the edges. We purchased tickets to the museum, and had about 45 minutes to wait, so we headed to Wall St, the NY Stock Exchange and the famous Bull. Very popular place, and we got our chance for a few pictures, but then had to hustle back to the museum. We walked into the museum, and down the stairs, taking in everything along the way. In our opinion, and just coming from Wash. DC, this was a perfectly laid out facility and was very well done. We ended up staying inside for more than three hours re-living that tragic day. We both felt tired afterwards, but also proud to see what lengths the first responders went to, to save as many people as they did and how the community came together.

One of the Reflecting Pools at the 9/11 Memorial

The symbolic last column that was left standing throughout the cleanup process, now in the 9/11 Museum

The famous Bull in the Financial District

Tuesday we just wandered around the city, taking in the sights of Canal Street and the vendors there trying to sell you watches, purses, scarves (Traci bought 2), and everything else. We wandered up through Little Italy, with a stop for the largest Caprese Salad ever, complement by vino, for lunch. Then our walking took us to the neighborhoods of East Village, Greenwich Village, and then back down through SoHo. A ton of walking and our feet were telling us it was time to go home, so we headed to our Path station for our trip home to the MoHo.

Enjoying wine in Little Italy

Wednesday we rose early, getting out of bed at 5:45AM! Traci really wanted to see the Today Show in person, so we got out early and arrived at the outdoor set about 7:40AM. The weather was drizzling, but not cold, and we hung out around the area for about an hour, taking in all the goings on of watching a live TV broadcast and all the folks it takes to pull it off. We were lucky in that one of the features of the day was the promotion of the movie “Dumb and Dumber To,” one of my all time favorites is finally coming out with a sequel. There was a prop in the courtyard, the Mutt Cutts van that is used in the movie; it was so funny to see it up close. During the end of the show, they handed out souvenirs; masks of the two lead actors, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, and I even got a T-shirt. (We taped the broadcast, and saw ourselves three times on the show that day, sort of funny to see it on TV after watching the live broadcast in person.) We then headed to Times Square to get in line for discounted Broadway show tickets at the TKTS booth. We purchased tickets to see Jersey Boys later that afternoon at 2:00PM. Next we headed back to Rockefeller Center. Our friend Michelle hooked us up with tickets to go to the Top of the Rock (Thanks Meeshie!). This is probably the best place in all NY to view the city. Perched atop the building, you can see some 40 miles on a clear day, unfortunately it was a bit misty, but we could still see a long ways out. From there you really get an idea on the scope of Manhattan and how large an area it truly is with the massive buildings and also a great aerial view of Central Park. After our trip to the top, we wandered back to Broadway for our show, with a stop at a food truck or two for lunch. The show was great, so amazingly choreographed and performed. I kept trying to catch them making a mistake, but this was Broadway, and these people are good! We made our way back down through Times Square and down to Madison Square Gardens, the Rangers were playing the Kings that night in game four of the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a lot quieter around the stadium, we both were surprised how little was going on. Yes, the home team was down 3-0 in the series, but it was just odd how little excitement was in the air. We headed to the subway and returned to the MoHo, tired from our early morning.

The Today Show - Savannah, Matt, Al & Tamryn

The Today Show – Savannah, Matt, Al & Tamron

Mike in front of the Dumb & Dumber Mutt Cutts Mobile

Top of the Rock, Empire State Building behind us

Central Park from Top of the Rock. Really gives you a feel for how big it is right in the middle of the city

Thursday was a bit slower morning, then a bike ride to Liberty State Park for great views of Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. The big event for this day was Michelle’s birthday! She and Amy, and several of their friends had a boat cruise planned for the evening, and we were invited. Traci and I headed into town early, I really wanted to watch the opening game of the World Cup, so we found a bar and landed it there about 3:00PM to watch Brazil in the first game of the competition. We then met up with everyone at a bar near the port that we were departing from, several friends had gathered there and we all got introduced, and started to celebrate Michelle’s birthday. After a few beverages, we walked the 3 blocks to the pier and boarded the boat for the night’s tour. This was super cool to see the city from the water again, only at night and from the East River side, despite the rainy evening. We hit another bar after the cruise, and then it was time to find our way home; only challenge here is that the trains run less frequently, and that sucks when you really want to get some sleep. We had a blast, almost too much fun for some of us, and eventually made it home sometime after midnight. Happy B-day Michelle!

East River Cruise for Michelle’s Bday

Friday we chilled at home, recovering from the night before, and trying to stay dry. It poured rain all day long and we really just hung out in the MoHo, watching World Cup soccer and doing a whole lot of nothing. We did venture out for dinner at a place 2 blocks away, the Tilted Kilt, only to be ushered out right at 7:00PM for a private New York Jets function that we didn’t have tickets to.

Saturday we met up with Michelle, this time in Little Italy for a late lunch/early dinner. I really wanted to watch the England vs. Italy soccer game in Little Italy. We had a great meal, then wandered to a bar and found some seats right before kickoff. It was a blast, and the bar customers were really into it, and it made for a super fun night. We then wandered back to Times Square to see the lights at night before touring through Grand Central Station and our final goodbye’s to Michelle.

Michelle, Traci & Mike in Times Square

Grand Central Station

Sunday, our last full day in New York, we decided to take a bike ride and picnic back to the Liberty St. Park area, about 2 miles south of the MoHo park. We rode around and took it all in, tons of people out celebrating Fathers Day. We played some Bocce, had a nice relaxing afternoon and returned to the MoHo to catch up on the final round of the US Open Golf tourney and more World Cup soccer matches. Monday we headed to the New Haven area in CT, our next stop.

Biking in Liberty State Park. Great views of Manattan, Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty for NJ

Biking in Liberty State Park. Great views of Manhattan, Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty from NJ

We really wanted to say a huge thank you to both Michelle and Amy, and her family. We were so fortunate to have friends here, and it made our stay so much more memorable to hang out with people who know the town. We would not have had as much fun without them, thanks ladies!

Check out more pics HERE!

PS – as I may have discussed in an earlier post, we are paying some serious tolls here in the East. Just taking the MoHo across the G.W. Bridge from NJ to NY cost us $68! The bad thing about it though is the roads out here are the worst in the country. I have no idea what they are doing with all the cash they are collecting, but it is not going back into the roads in any way.

The Jersey Shore – 5/31/14 – 6/5/14

Rocky, Cheesesteak and the Bell 5/27/14 – 5/30/14

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Philly Cheesesteaks at Joe’s

Philadelphia was a bit quieter compared to our busy days in DC. We actually needed some recovery time, so this was a nice break. We stayed at the Timberlane Campground, which was actually in Clarksboro, NJ just across the Delaware River/Ben Franklin Bridge from Philly (only about 10 miles). We had rain the first few days, which worked out fine, so we could get some errand done. Side note: There are A LOT of toll roads in this area. On our drive from DC, we paid $43 for tolls. And, it looks like this is just the beginning for this area.

On our first day, we drove the short few miles back into Delaware to make our bike purchase (no sales tax in DE)! We sold the kayaks a few weeks ago and were holding the proceeds to buy bikes. Very excited and we have already used them every day and look forward to using them throughout the Northeast and the rest of the trip. We also bought a great carrying rack, which hooks onto the rear of the MoHo so we don’t have to worry about them on the car. A perfect solution!

Our new bikes!

Cruising around the park

The next day, the weather finally broke so we headed into Philly for the day. Our first stop was in the Historic Independence District to see the iconic Liberty Bell. It was packed with tour groups so we opted not to wait in the huge line to go inside to take a photo, but rather just looked through the window on the outside and snapped a few pics (see below). Next item on the agenda was to find a Philly Cheesesteak for lunch. We had read about the top 3 original spots to try. We landed at Jim’s and both had the “Cheesesteak Wit” (wit means with onions). This place was awesome and by the time we left there was a line out the door. We walked around a bit taking in the atmosphere of the area, then drove over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and those famous steps. We joined the other tourists and did the classic run up the steps and jumped up and down with our arms in the air (a bit winded) just like Rocky Balboa did. Cheesy, but these are the kind of moments I like!

Our Liberty Bell photo from outside

Liberty Bell from inside (stolen from internet)

Liberty Bell from inside (in our opinion not worth 2 hours in line)

The famous steps, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Yo Adrian!

Us on top of the steps!

The last day here, May 30, was our 15^th wedding anniversary. We had a relaxing day hanging out at the campground, ran some more errands and enjoyed a delicious dinner at the MoHo of spaghetti, Caesar salad and of course red wine. Perfect! Overall, our time here was pretty low key, which is just what we needed. We are glad we made the stop, but I think a bit of a let down compared to our amazing time in DC. Next up is Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Our Nation’s Capital – Washington, DC! 5/19/14 – 5/26/14

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As you may have noticed, I usually get a bit long penned writing my blog posts, and this could certainly be one of those. But with there being so much we were able to do here in DC, I am going to just try and hit the highlights.

The White House (it was smaller than we imagined)

We were able to enjoy 8 days here and I think that was just perfect. Our days were full and long, but so worth it! Our RV Park, Cherry Hill Campground was the perfect base camp from which to explore and close to a Metro Station, which we used a lot. Easy to figure out, safe and fairly clean, but more expensive than we thought. Certainly there is always more to see and do, but we feel like we hit the big items that were on our list. Let me start with the things we did not get to. The Washington Monument just re-opened after being repaired from an earthquake a couple years ago. Thus, if we did not have an advanced ticket or get in line at 6:00AM to get a daily ticket, we weren’t able to go up in the monument, so that one we just were able to view from the outside. Still massively impressive in its size and so iconic, it was surreal to be standing outside of that monument. The other venue we could not get into that we wanted was the White House tour. This is one you have to request through your Senator 4-6 months in advance, and we obviously did not do that. But, we did get Capitol Tour tickets through Patty Murray’s office, with two interns leading the way, allowing us to get access to some areas that most people do not see. I would have to say the highlight of this was sitting in the House of Representatives balcony at the opening of a session and standing with the reps and gallery for an opening Pledge of Allegiance and prayer, pretty cool. Also sitting in the Senate listening to Senators from TX, LA and CA strongly discuss environmental issues.

The Capitol Building

Our first couple days we spent touring the Mall area, basically the heart of DC from the Capitol building stretching past the Washington Monument down to the Lincoln Memorial and over to the Jefferson Memorial. Lining the Mall area are many of the Smithsonian Museums (all free!), with other gardens and lesser recognizable structures. The Mall is a huge grassy area that is used by everyone for relaxing and taking in all the sights, and grabbing a beverage or snack from one of the dozens of food truck vendors. It is almost two miles long from end to end, so there is a ton of walking, and most of DC is very pedestrian friendly. We did A LOT of walking, between 5 and 9 miles everyday (according to Traci’s fitbit).

Washington Monument and Reflecting Pond

Some of the other highlights in this area:

Lincoln Memorial – awesome to stand at the base of him sitting in the chair we have all seen so many times.

Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pond

Jefferson Memorial – not as impressive, we thought the view was better from across the Tidal Basin to look back at the structure.

National Air and Space Museum – Many iconic flying vehicles, one of my favorites.
Museum of American History – So many items to see; Dorothy’s slippers from the Wizard of Oz, Julia Child’s kitchen, the original star-spangled banner, etc. This was Traci’s favorite.
Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial – super powerful here with many people laying flowers and other gifts, and taking a piece of paper and tracing a name of a loved one or friend listed on the wall.

Reflection of Mike & I and Wash. Monument

Notice the reflection of Traci & I and Wash. Monument

Korean War Memorial – awesome display of troops walking through the rice fields.

Museum of Natural History – this one was so packed with school groups that we didn’t stay as long as we would have liked. Great exhibits on mammals, bones and gems (the 45 ½ caret Hope Diamond).
National Archives Museum – the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed here.
Other Memorials we visited in the Mall area were World War II, MLK, FDR and the Navy.

During our visit, we were lucky to be in town for a few other events as it was Memorial Day week. First was the official visit to the White House by our Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks! We found their buses on the backside of the White House and stood outside with about 75 other fans hoping for a glimpse of the players before they got on the buses to leave (we missed them arriving). After waiting around for almost two hours, they finally emerged and many were very gracious in signing autographs and engaging a bit with the group. Pete Carroll came right out and shook my hand first and then signed for everyone for several minutes, it was great to see the team!

Coach Pete Carroll giving the crowd some love

Wilson & Sherman

Back of the White House - notice the security on the roof

Back of the White House – notice the security guards on the roof

Another day, we took the Metro out to Arlington National Cemetery. This is one of those hallowed grounds that we have all seen dozens of pictures of over the years, but it is much larger that I had anticipated. Here lay the remains of over 400,000 people, all with some affiliation to the military. Our first stop was to the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy and his family; with the eternal flame burning. We then continued up the hill to the house of General Robert E. Lee. This was his homestead back in the 1800’s and the story we learned was that during the Civil War, they began to lay to rest the Union soldiers just below his homestead, so that the General would not want to reside here following the war. Well as it turns out, he was killed in battle, but the family did not want to remain here after the war, and thus sold it to the US Gov’t and it has evolved into one of the most significant burial sites in America today. We then made our way across the ridge of the cemetery to witness the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; a memorial to all those who have served our country, and not returned or been identified. Every 30 minutes there is a ceremony as this memorial is guarded day and night by the Marines Corps; a precisely executed transition, from one Sentinel to the next, to maintain watch over their fallen comrade that is enshrined in the memorial. As our visit here ended, we were fortunate enough to witness the dozens of army personnel placing flags in front of each and every head stone. As it was Memorial Day Weekend, and a ceremony was to be held on Monday, they were getting the grounds ready for thousands of visitors. 400,000 small US flags precisely placed the exact same distance from each headstone made for a very powerful ending to our visit.

Arlington National Cemetery

We took one day to make a side trip up to Baltimore, only about 30 miles from our MoHo park. We arrived in the early afternoon to a beautiful 75-degree day, and stopped in the visitor’s center to get our local maps. We were greeted by a nice little old man who gave us the lay of the land and mentioned a couple places we needed to see while we were there. The Inner Harbor area of Baltimore is beautiful, we both were very surprised by how much was going on, and how much there was to do. Tons of restaurant’s, shops, water taxi’s and a variety of historic boats lining the docks. We walked to another area on the harbor, Fell Point, a neat little neighborhood just a mile or so out of the main harbor area and had a beverage at one of the local watering holes recommended by our visitor center gentleman, then returned via water taxi to the main part of the harbor. This was a very vibrant area with lots of people walking around, many getting ready for the Orioles baseball game that night. Traci and I also were headed that way (thanks again Matt for the tickets!) and we eventually arrived outside the stadium and took in the atmosphere. The home team won easily, a nice 8-4 victory over Cleveland. A perfect day and visit to an area we both really enjoyed, a return trip to this area is a must at some point.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore

We also visited Annapolis, a tiny little town known for the US Naval Academy that is there. The grounds of the Naval facility are beautiful, with a very significant sports presence, lot of fields, tracks, and all sports related types of areas. It is also where many of the students come to learn how to sail, and there are dozens of training boats on property to use in and around the area. After walking the grounds, we headed into the harbor area of town. Wow, what a neat little place! There were several little restaurants, shops, bars and tons of people out enjoying the day. It was graduation weekend, so it was pretty crowded. It was like this little place was just dropped in here some 200 years ago, and had not changed that much. Narrow streets, with beautiful architectural buildings, and we just loved the vibe here, again a pleasant surprise.

Another event that I had heard of but did not know much about was the Rolling Thunder motorcycle parade held on the Sunday prior to Memorial Day Monday. The bikers congregated at the Pentagon parking lots at 7:00AM, and at about noon they started their ride around the main road of the Mall area and past the Capitol. This ride started back in 1988 to bring to light the POW/MIA movement that was still getting very little traction in the media and public opinion. That first year, there were about 2,500 bikers, with their loud pipes cruising through the area and heard from blocks away. This year there were an anticipated 500,000 bikers, half a million! We were able to find a spot on Constitution Ave. and take in the bikers as they drove by; we stood there for 90 minutes watching and waving at them all. Their message was clear, do not forget those that are missing or lost serving their country, and it was very powerful to see. We finally got hot and hungry, and left the street, but the parade continued for at least 3-4 more hours, and no they were not doing laps, it just takes that long for them all to drive to route, 4 or 5 wide down the street.

Rolling Thunder Parade, 500,000+ bikers

Our last day in DC, we went down to Mt Vernon and toured General/ President George Washington’s home and estate. A huge area of some 200 acres (originally over 8,000 acres). It is now maintained by a group originally founded back in the mid 1800’s that raised $200,000 back then to purchase and preserve the property. With beautiful gardens, and an amazing view overlooking the Potomac River, Washington had a pretty awesome home, some 250+ years ago. After this we decided to head to the Iwo Jima US Marine Corps Memorial, located across the Potomac from DC, and right next to Arlington National Cemetery. It was Monday, Memorial Day, and it was a perfect ending to our visit to DC. Everyone knows this massive statue, depicting the Marines erecting a flag on top of a hill at Iwo Jima. We were both struck by how large it was, standing some 32 feet off the base of the monument, with a huge American flag waving, it was an amazing site to end our trip on!

George Washington’s Estate, Mt. Vernon

Iwo Jima Memorial

A few of our favorite food/drink stops were:

Rooftop bar in the Washington W Hotel – a great view of the city and looking down on the White House.
The Tombs in Georgetown – a fun college bar with ice cold beers
Founding Farmers – close to the White House. We had breakfast here one morning and it was fantastic! Traci had Stuffed Banana’s Foster French Toast and she said it was her best breakfast ever.
Mama Lucia’s – a strip mall Italian joint in College Park right by our MoHo campground. Awesome lasagna and inexpensive!
Dock Street Bar & Grill in Annapolis – excellent food and great atmosphere right in the main part of town.

This stop will go down as one of our favorites, and we were so lucky to have great weather, get some great recommendations from friends (Thanks Dave Albrecht), hook up for dinner with a childhood classmate and her family one night (Thanks for hosting us Liz and Steve!), and taking in all that we could have imagined in DC! I would highly recommend a visit to our Nation’s capital if you have never been. It is a MUST!

Click HERE to see more pics from our time in the DC area

One Year on the Road

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From Traci:
Today, May 16th marks our one-year anniversary of being on the road. It does not seem real to me that it has been this long. I am proud of us for doing this, because it was a huge step to take. Especially me. Most of you know that I am a pretty routine, structured person, so quitting my job, selling the house and leaving the comforts of home was not really in my master plan. Traveling, yes, but this extreme move, no. So, I must thank Mike for pushing me out of my comfort zone and leading the charge on this because I never would have done this without him. It’s funny, one of the most common questions we get from people (besides ‘what is your favorite place so far’ and ‘how are you able to do this’) is ‘how are you able to spend this much time together?’ We are both a bit amused because it isn’t even an issue for us. It seems normal for us and doing this together is the best part of it. Sure, we need our separate space at times, but I believe we complement each other nicely and have definitely found our groove. You have to, living in a 340 square foot space! It has been freeing to rid ourselves of all of the superfluous stuff and live minimally and on a budget. Sure, I miss my dishwasher and washer/dryer, but otherwise we have all the comforts we need. TV/DVR is probably the biggest thing we need to let go of, but at this point, not gonna happen (I love my shows). I do feel I have made progress on being more flexible and spontaneous, but it takes awhile to undo 45 years of habits!

So far, this has been an amazing adventure and we are so fortunate to be doing it. Meeting new friends, visiting old friends and having others come meet us have really made the trip special. Our choice to see our own country was the best decision we could have made. There is a lot to see here at home which I would highly recommend to anyone! 26 States and 2 Provinces down. I think we have another 6 mo’s in us, but you just never know! Thank you to everyone who has supported us and shown interest in what we are doing. The blog has been a lot of work, but it a perfect way for us to stay connected with friends & family. A labor of love!

My top 5 experiences have been (in no particular order)…
1. Kickoff in Portland watching the WVC Knights win it all!
2. Kentucky Derby
3. The Nashville Scene
4. Hiking in Utah’s National Parks
5. Chillaxing in Key Largo

From Mike:
When I read this quote below, it sparked me even that much more to try and find a way to see the world!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain

Re-reading it again, it still holds true, even more so than it did some three years ago when I came across the words. It has been one full year, a full year that we have been out on the road! I could not be happier that we are able to enjoy this time, share these memories, and go to some of these places that I would have never imagined, all within our own country. We have met some great people along the way. We have also been welcomed into many a friends’ home for a meal, a huge luxury to us that we can not say thank you enough to those we have been lucky enough to see along the way. There have also been a few visitors that have made the trek out to join us, and that is so amazing, we can’t try to explain what it means to us! I end this simply; we sit back and enjoy one of our favorite meals, tacos, I with a shot of my 1942 Don Julio Tequila (Thanks again MIL for the b-day gift!), and a glass of wine to end our first year on the road. Cheers to you all, and I look forward to the rest of this journey, seeing more places, and meeting up with more friends along the way!

P.S. – My top 5 experiences have been (in no particular order)…
1. The Masters!
2. Hiking in Utah.
3. Taking time to enjoy a lost favorite, fishing everywhere.
4. The Florida Keys.
5. The diversity of weather we have experienced.

History Lesson in Virginia – 5/11/14 – 5/15/14

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Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

We had a short drive from Charlottesville to our next stop at Rockahock Campground in Lanexa, VA which is about halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg. Love short drives! The weather had really heated up and we were expecting temps in the 90’s for the next few days. We decided to just hit the grocery story and BBQ at the MoHo and enjoy the evening sitting outside.

The next day, we headed out to drive the Colonial Parkway, which is a historic road that connects Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown (and the James & York Rivers). First stop was at the Jamestown Settlement, which was a museum with exhibits surrounding the start of Colonial America (the first permanent English colony of 1607). We opted not to pay the entrance fee and instead drove into Colonial National Park where we could use our NP pass. Nothing too exciting, but then we discovered the Glass House, which is a working glass blowing studio. We learned that glass blowing was the first industry in America – back then it would take 2 weeks to heat a fire hot enough to melt the sand to create the glass. They were creating very cool wine decanters, so of course we had to buy one! This turned out to be a great, unexpected stop. We headed out on the Parkway which was actually a bit unexciting, but scenic with the river views and greenery. The big allure is just the significance of the area and picturing what went on so many years ago, but not really a lot to see. We drove the 20 miles or so to Yorktown, which had another pay museum (dedicated to the Revolutionary War, the end of Colonial America, and where independence was won in 1781), which we opted out of as well. Another part of Colonial National Park was here, so we drove in and could see some of the actual battlefields of the war. Yorktown had a very quaint town right on the York River with a beach. It was a hot day, so there were a lot of people hanging out. We drove back to Colonial Williamsburg (which we had already passed, but knew we would come back to after we drove the parkway). We got a bite to eat, then decided to walk down the historic street, which is a restored 18th century town complete with people in period costumes. We didn’t pay the entrance fee to get into any buildings but just walked instead. It was in the 90’s and we were both overheating so didn’t stay too long. It was neat to see this area, but for some reason it just really wasn’t that interesting for us. It felt more like something we just needed to cross off the list.

The Glass House in Jamestown

Adding the handle to our wine decanter

Meticulous gardens in Williamsburg

The next day we decided to have a fun day more up our alley. After a stop at Costco, we hit Williamsburg Winery for a tour and wine tasting. It is the largest winery in VA and they produce 46,000 cases/yr. The wine was just ok, but interesting to hear about the grapes they use (Viognier is the grape of VA) compared to what we are used to in Washington. We felt the whites were definitely better than the reds. We headed to the adjacent tavern for lunch and a bottle of white, perfect for a hot day on their nicely shaded patio. We then headed over to Aleworks Brewery for some craft beer tasting and met two nice couples who were very interested in our journey, so we chatted with them for awhile and they gave us some tips for our upcoming travels to the NE. Back to the MoHo for Costco flank steak, salad & asparagus. A great day!

Wine Tasting at the Williamsburg Winery

The winery has one of the largest collection of these historic wine bottles

One of the largest collections of ancient wine bottles

We had another short travel day down to Virginia Beach and arrived at First Landing State Park by noon. This was a “pick your own site” campground, so we got a good one and had an easy set-up. The park is located right on the Atlantic Ocean/Chesapeake Bay, so we packed up a picnic then walked the 75 yards or so on the boardwalk out the beach. The temp was perfect and I even took a little nap while Mike explored. Later, we drove to the main resort area of VA Beach where all the action is and popped into a place for happy hour (.50 wings and $1 tacos – perfect!).

Site of the First Landing of English Settlers

We rarely go out to breakfast, but I had been waiting for this one! The next morning we hit another Diners, Drive-Ins & Dive’s place, Citrus. Their two specialties are Banana & Pineapple filled pancakes with an orange glaze and Crab Omelets (exactly what we ordered complemented by mimosa’s). Can you guess who ordered what?! Then we drove to Cape Henry, a military base where the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse and First Landing sites are located. This was where the first English settlers touched shore in 1607 and where they later built the lighthouse in 1791 (oldest government-built lighthouse). We were able to climb to the top of the lighthouse and have a great view out to the ocean and the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. It was a bit hazy out, so we couldn’t see the 3rd lighthouse on the north side of the Bay. We headed back into town and walked down the boardwalk and just took in the scene. This area is on the verge of its busy season, so it wasn’t in full swing yet, but for a Thursday afternoon pretty crowded. I can only imagine how crazy it would be for Spring Break and in the heat of summer – 40 blocks of bars, souvenir shops, hotels/motels and restaurants. Reminded me a lot of Myrtle Beach. The wind had started to pick up, so we headed home for the night. The rain and wind are due to roll in, so I foresee a day of itinerary planning and catching up on shows, then we head to Delaware on Saturday.

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

A steep climb at times

Not a bad view from the top. The new lighthouse behind me and the entrance to Chesapeake Bay

Bears and Wine in Virginia, who knew? 5/6/14 – 5/10/14

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Wine Tasting

We left Louisville and started to head east once again, crossing through West Virginia along our way. We stayed one quick night in a nice campground just about 20 miles west of Charleston, WV, the Huntington Fire Fox KOA; nice stop after driving about 230 miles. We decided to eat in and did not even unhook the car. I think it was only the second time on our trip we did so. We had a lot of little chores and laundry to do, so this was a good time to get some stuff checked off our lists. Later in the afternoon, I headed over to one of the private lakes on property for a little evening fishing, and they were hungry for my hot dogs. Large mouth bass, two different types of catfish, and a sunfish of some sort, lots of fun on the catch and release only lake.

The next morning we headed towards Charlottesville, VA. After our 270-mile drive we arrived to the Misty Mountain Campground 10 miles west of town. We checked in and headed to our site, a water and electric only location (no sewer connections). After about an hour of fighting with the soft ground, the maintenance guy bringing in a truck load of gravel, and all sorts of other ideas, we finally went up to the office and amazingly they found us a full hook up site. We moved over to that site, and had similar issues with the soft ground, but found a way to make it work. Tired and soaked with sweat, it was time to cool off with several cold beverages and get some dinner. We ran to the local grocery store in Crozet for taco fixings and as a bonus found what I would call the best cookie in the world! A little bakery nearby had this perfect dessert, a “monster cookie,” that I should have bought more of, but did not know how good they were till we got them home and had one, opportunity missed there!

Hiking in Shenandoah National Park

The next day we headed out for Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive, which runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We grabbed a couple maps from the entrance ranger, and decided to take a couple short hikes through the park. We drove along the ridgeline, stopped at several of the pullouts and took in the views. Unfortunately for us, there were some forest fires burning on some neighboring ridges across the valley, and it made for a very smokey and hazy day. We got to the trailhead, and headed out on a short little 1.3-mile loop hike. A fairly simple little walk, until Traci rolled her ankle, and then it was a bit more of a challenge for her. We got back to the car, and that was the end of our hiking for the day. We decided there was no need to push it and take a chance her weakened ankle could not perform on another trail. So we continued to drive, and just about 3 miles from where we were planning on exiting the park, we came upon several cars parked on/off the roadway, and we immediately knew this sign; there had to be some sort of wildlife worth stopping and viewing. (We saw this in Yellowstone a lot.) Sure enough, we got out and walked over to the edge of the roadway, and there were two mother bears with cubs; one set looked like they must have been about a year old, the other set could not have been more than 2-3 months old. We stayed there and watched the little ones climb the trees and hide, and their mother just chilling at the bottom of the tree. The other mother was knapping with one cub on the ground next to her, and one up a tree above her. Our vantage point was up a ridge, probably about 75 yards away, close enough to keep your attention in case something spooked them and they wanted us all out of there. Several cars stopped, and eventually the park maintenance staff came by and it was time to move on, but what a surprise! We headed back to the MoHo, on a high, and got cleaned up for a night out in Crozet for dinner. I found a local place called Fardowners, featuring local food, beverages, and vibe. We ate a nice pub style meal and then returned to the MoHo and relaxed.

Before ankle incident

Made it to the top!

Mama Bear guarding the babies in the tree

This little guy was about 40 feet up in the tree.

This one stopped about 20 feet up. He was so small, maybe only 10 lbs.

The next morning, we headed into town for a meeting at 10:00AM. We had decided a while ago it was probably time to sell the kayaks, we just weren’t using them and they cause a lot of drag on the MDX when we are out on side trips. We had been advertising on the local Craigslist sites in each town, and finally found a buyer in Charlottesville. We now want to get bikes as we think we’ll use those a bit more. After making the transaction, we walked around the corner into the outdoor mall area of downtown. This is one of the coolest little market/restaurant/bar areas we have come across on our travels. It is about 8 blocks long and ends up with a huge covered stage for concerts right in the heart of town. We would have loved to spend more time here, but we had other plans for the day. (We did have a quick late morning beer at “Miller’s”, a local bar that Dave Matthews used to bartend at back in the early 90’s when the DMB band was formed.) We then took a drive to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and it was super busy, and a bit pricey so we skipped the tour, and returned to town and drove all through the Univ. of Virginia campus. After a quick lunch, we then headed north into wine country. Virginia now has over 250 wineries, and we just happened to be right in the middle of the Monticello AVA. We hit 4 different places, the last one featuring a guitarist Dave Tewksbury. We sat out and had a glass of vino on the deck overlooking the lake, and left just minutes before the clouds opened up.

The outdoor mall in downtown Charlottesville. Traci enjoying gelato.

Our spot at Glass House Winery listening to live music

Pollack Winery was our favorite, can you tell?

Pollak Winery was our favorite, can you tell?

The next day, Saturday, we planned on more vino tasting south of our park. We got a late start, and found out how popular this area is with the locals. Our first stop we stood in line for 15 minutes before we could get a spot at a tasting table. It was still a bit showery, so I think everyone else in the area had the same idea, lets go taste some wine. We hit three wineries, a cider place (actually bought a case of local hard cider) and returned to the MoHo that evening and stayed in for dinner. This area has a very fast growing wine region, and we got to sample some of it, but there is a lot more to see, only if we had more time. Sunday we head to Lanexa, VA – right between Richmond and Williamsburg.

Hats, Bow ties and Mint Juleps! – 4/30/14 – 5/5/14

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We rolled into Louisville, KY on Wed. afternoon and made our way to the KOA in Shepherdsville, about 18 miles south of Churchill Downs. We booked this site back in October to ensure we had a place to stay for the big event. We had a few days to get organized and get chores done before we met up with the Shull’s on Friday, including getting the MDX in for a much needed service and new brakes.

Hanging out in the infield at the Oaks on Friday

Placing bets

Check out those hats (and horses!)

The recognizable spires of Churchill Downs

Friday was the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, kind of a preview to the Derby with a “pink” theme for breast cancer awareness. Mike & I headed to the track around 12:30; Becky & Charles were driving down from Cincinnati. Charles had a business meeting in Louisville, then they were meeting us at CD. Our tickets for the day were general admission/infield which is typically a pretty crazy atmosphere with lots of college kids and plenty o’drinking. There is no seating, so many people bring blankets and camp chairs and stake out an area. Since we were only going to be there a half-day, we decided against chairs and opted to just walk around and explore. I had read that the site lines to the track were very limited from the infield, but surprisingly we could see the horses and track from a number of vantage points. We felt like this was a great intro for us to get our feet wet, learn the betting and take in the atmosphere. They had a special drink for the Oaks, the Lily. It was Grey Goose vodka and cranberry garnished with a blackberry and served in a stemless souvenir wine glass. Right up my alley! Of course, the Mint Juleps were also available and we all partook in those as well. I didn’t like them as much as the Lily, but as Beck told me, “Bourbon is an acquired taste.” Not sure I have acquired it quite yet. We ended up staying at the track until the very last race and I actually came out ahead on my betting for the day (I pick the horses based on their name, very scientific). We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to the MoHo and BBQ’d steaks complemented by a tasty salad, potatoes and spectacular wine! The Shull’s stayed with us in the MoHo because hotels were a bit overpriced for the weekend. So glad they did as it gave us quality time to hang out, catch up and for them to experience the MoHo way of life!

Making our way to the track in style!

Not a bad looking group!

Mike & Charles looking dapper

Studying up for my next bet

Hanging out in our box waiting for the next race

On Saturday, we had a leisurely morning over coffee and breakfast, then the preparations began! Beck & I donned our dresses and hats and Charles & Mike got their bow ties tied (with a little help from YouTube). Mimosa’s in hand and we were off to the Kentucky Derby! We scoped out parking the day before for only $10, just a few blocks from the track complete with golf cart service right to the front gate! Not bad for rookies. Originally we had infield tickets for Saturday, but decided to buck up and get Clubhouse Seats. It was a good choice and we ended up having a 6-seat box all to ourselves, nice to have the extra space. It was a glorious, sunny day in the mid 70’s. The best weather they have seen for the Kentucky Derby in years! First order of business was to get our Julep’s and place our first bet. We arrived in time for Race 6 (the Derby was Race 11), so we had plenty of day ahead of us. There was about 45 minutes between races and an hour and a half before the Derby Race. We felt like we fit in pretty well, but there were definitely some bigger, more elaborate hats than ours. The day couldn’t have been better and was a perfect mix of sitting in our seats, walking around, people watching, drinking Juleps, smoking cigars, betting and getting into the whole atmosphere and experience of it. Becky was the big winner for the day and California Chrome took home the roses! One of the coolest moments for me was the quiet anticipation of the crowd right before the gates opened and the announcer said “and they’re off.” 150,000 people together witnessing the most exciting 2 minutes in sports! As soon as that race was over, the crowds started clearing out pretty quickly. We stayed for another race and let it empty out a bit. We all agreed that for first timers, we did it up pretty darn good. Having Beck & Charles there really made the experience for us. It really wouldn’t have been the same without them. What a memory we will all share! We headed downtown for dinner at a cool spot called Marketplace (delicious!) and got back to the MoHo around midnight exhausted from our big day. Kentucky Derby. Check.

A pretty cool scene – all of those people focused on the greatest 2 minutes in sports!

Look closely and you can see the horses coming around the first turn

Mint Juleps!

What a great day!

Charles with the winning ticket

We all slept in the next morning then headed out to a great spot for brunch called Harvest. We drove around a bit and explored, then it was time for them to head back up to Cincinnati for their flight home. Sad to say goodbye, but I think we were all still on a high from such a fantastic day. Mike & I ran some errands then headed back to the MoHo for a relaxing evening. The next day was my bday, Cinco de Mayo. I slept in, Mike made me breakfast in bed and I caught up on some bad TV. We drove downtown in search of a Mexican restaurant and Margarita. On a Monday after Derby Weekend, a bit harder than we thought. Found a neat area called 4th Street Live, but no Mexican joints that were open. Had a few Corona’s, then headed back toward the MoHo Park and found the perfect place just a mile from the park – go figure. One jumbo strawberry margarita then back to the MoHo for a campfire. A very relaxing bday, but it did feel a bit weird not to be home with friends & family. I definitely felt the love from afar though via phone calls, texts, emails and FB.

Cinco de Mayo Corona at Fourth Street Live

Birthday Corona at Fourth Street Live

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